Andhra Pradesh

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.

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Andhra Pradesh (än´drə prä´dāsh), state (2011 pop. 49,386,799), 61,855 sq mi (160,205 sq km), SE India, on the Bay of Bengal. The state was created in 1956 from the Telugu-speaking portions of Madras (now Tamil Nadu) and Hyderabad states. In 2014 the northwestern portion of the state was separated as the state of Telangana. The capital is Hyderabad, which is now located in Telangana; it will be joint capital of the two states for 10 years. Andhra Pradesh is largely on a coastal plain drained by the Penner, Krishna, and Godavari rivers. Rice, sugarcane, peanuts, and cotton are raised; coal, chrome, and manganese are mined. India's largest shipyard is located in Vishakhapatnam, and a satellite launch center is on Sriharikota island in the southeast. The state takes its name from the Andhra people, the indigenous inhabitants of the area. After the state's creation, there was sentiment in the section that had been part of Hyderabad in favor of a separate state, and recurring strikes and demonstrations on the issue at times have led to deadly violence. In 2009 the Indian government announced it would began the process of creating the state of Telangana, but it then backtracked in the face of opposition. In 2013, however, the government agreed to a proposal for formation of the state. Andhra Pradesh is governed by a chief minister and cabinet responsible to a bicameral legislature with one elected house and by a governor appointed by the president of India.

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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh State in seIndia on the Bay of Bengal; the capital is Hyderabad. It was created in 1953 from part of Madras, and in 1956 it incorporated the princely state of Hyderabad. Though mountainous to the ne, most of the region is flat coastal plain. Products include rice and groundnuts; coal, chrome and manganese are mined. The principal language is Teluga. Area: 276,814sq km (106,878sq mi). Pop. (2001) 75,727,541.

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